Focus Communications is managing reputation and building public confidence in the design and construction of the Valley Line LRT—13 kilometres of light rail transit that will connect Mill Woods to downtown Edmonton. This first stage includes 11 stops, an elevated station with a transit centre and Park & Ride, and a transfer point to the downtown LRT.

Our communications and engagement program created awareness of the Valley Line LRT and continues to improve perception, as the new rail system comes onboard.

The Valley Line is different from Edmonton’s existing LRT. Our communications and engagement are preparing the public for construction, neighbourhood changes, and new ways to travel. We’re also readying them for a new type of LRT with low floors, street-level stops, and embedded tracks that will allow the trains to flow with traffic.

A team of world experts—TransED—has designed and is now building the line. It’s a public-private partnership (P3) composed of Bechtel, EllisDon, Bombardier, and Fengate Capital Management Ltd., with the added expertise of Arup Canada and IBI Group. As pre-construction began in March 2016, we began positioning this new partnership as experts in design, construction, operations, and maintenance.

Our work includes communications planning, media relations, and crisis communications. Our stakeholder relations involves in-person meetings, public notices, open houses, public consultation, and response to concerns, issues, and matters raised. Our goal is to respond to all stakeholders within 15 minutes. We manage the storefront and provide customer service to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

We manage traditional and social media. We staged kick-off events for the media and public and continue to create news and awareness, as the project achieves its milestones. We also design and create the communications materials: project website, signage, notices, maps, fact sheets, and other publications.